Sapota (Chikoo)

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 860 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,860 mm it can use in a normal year, and 1,410 mm in a dry year.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

Grows best at 20–34 °C on average, and survives 11–42 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jun 25 °C / 16 °C
• Jul 25 °C / 17 °C
• Aug 25 °C / 17 °C
• Sep 24 °C / 16 °C
• Oct 22 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
• Nov 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 15 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 13 °C / 1 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 14 °C / 2 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 17 °C / 5 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 20 °C / 9 °C (outside its best range)
• May 23 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 25 °C / 16 °C

Nights in November can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.

Soil

Soil for Sapota (Chikoo): 7 out of 10 (okay).

• Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.

Likes pH 6.0–7.0.

Money

Yield: about 50 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 3 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

Mandi price through the year (December 2025–November 2026): about ₹3,825 a quintal across India's mandis.

This week: about ₹4,500 a quintal, the middle of 48 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹1.3 lakh a year after typical costs.

Prices are usually best in October.

Typical costs are about ₹97,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.